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Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow’s comments made during the Pride Parade on Sunday has at least two citizen groups in a fighting mood.
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The Downtown Concerned Citizens Organization (DCCO) sent out a press release on Tuesday following a story in the Toronto Sun regarding the mayor’s public support for the Palestinian cause, much to the chagrin of the city’s Jewish community.
“Mayor Olivia Chow’s latest divisive and flippant comment at last weekend’s Pride Parade illustrates just how tone-deaf this individual is toward the Jewish population and Toronto taxpayers,” the DCCO release said.
During the parade, the mayor was approached by an advocate from the Free Palestine movement during an interaction caught on video.
“Can we get a ‘Free Palestine,’” the supporter wearing black sunglasses and a black T-shirt asks in the video.
The mayor obliges.
“Yes. Free Palestine,” Chow says.
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‘Blatant display’ of antisemitism?
Lori Nausbaum, a member of the Downtown Jew Crew, said the mayor’s comments were a “blatant display of her antisemitic attitude, a clear message to us that she just doesn’t care about all constituents,” she said.
Neither organization filed a formal complaint with the city, but the release said other community groups have taken their complaints to a higher authority and not for just Sunday’s remarks, but for other hurtful comments made by the mayor in the past.
“Several community groups have filed complaints with Paul Muldoon, the city’s integrity commissioner, and the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, alleging that Chow’s repeated use of terms like “genocide in Gaza” and her public stances violate city codes of conduct,” the release said.
The integrity commissioner is a neutral, independent officer who oversees the conduct of elected and most appointed officials at the City of Toronto. The integrity commissioner is appointed by city council for a fixed, non-renewable five-year term and operates independently of city council and city administration.
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The Toronto Sun sent an email to Muldoon’s office asking for the number of groups that had filed a complaint. The Sun also asked when a decision in this case would be forthcoming. Muldoon did not respond to the email nor did anyone from his staff.
The DCCO said the mayor will feel the sting at the ballot box on Oct. 26, when the municipal election is held.
“This issue, among many others, is why the Downtown Concerned Citizens Organization, representing 61,000-plus residents and business operators, will not be supporting Mayor Olivia Chow in the next municipal election,” the release said.
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